Brake



Jan. 26, 1937 w, MCCONKEY 2,068,958

BRAKE Filed July 18, 1935 2 Sheets$heet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Jan. 26, 1937. M. w. McCONKEY 2,068,958

BRAKE Filed July 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEZ 30 particularly suited to a brake structure, it is ated by expansible member l9 connected to the 30 35 may be made without exceeding the spi t a d flexible or extensible portion 26 adjaeent the 35 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 2,068,958

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE Montgomery W. McOonkey, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Research Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application July 18, 1935, Serial No. 32,054

9 Clahns; (01. 188-152) This application isin part acontinuation of my of a portion of an automobile chassis showing copending application Serial No. 556,663. 4 I the improved conduit installed thereon for oper- This invention relates to vehicle brakes, and ating the brakes; more particularly to an improved fluid conduit Fig. 2 is asomewhat diagrammatic vertical fora hydraulic vehicle brake. cross-sectional view taken on the lines 2-2 of 5 An important object of the invention is to Fig. l; L provide a hydraulic brake conduit that is formed Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of a nor from a single piece, or in other words an integral tion of a vehicle showing the installation for operlength of tubing, portions of which are of diilerating a, wiveled wheel; cut flexibility. Fig. i is an enlarged sectional view of the im- 10 -Another object of the invention is to provide proved conduit taken in the direction of the ara single piece hydraulic brake conduit adapted rows 3- 3 of Fig. l; for use on a vehicle in which the portions of the Fig, 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of tubing adjacent the brake are flexible and the the front wheel shown in Fig. 3 illustrating the portions adapted to be secured to the vehicle position of the conduit after the swiveled wheel lo frame are comparatively inflexible. has been turned through an appreciable angle;

Another object pf the inventionis to provide Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a a single piece fluid. conduit for a brake having a modified arrangement; and uniform external diameter and comparatively Fig. '7 is an enlarged view partly in section flexible and inflexible portions. showing a portion of the conduit shown in Fig. 6 20 Another object of the invention is to provide in greater detail. a conduit of a sin le piece of tubing having a In the drawings, I0 is the vehicle frame haveemparatively inextensible Portion d a ing cross members II and supported on front paratively extensible portion. axle lZ and rear axle l3 by springs l4 and I 5 A furth Object is to p vi a; tubing f r fl i respectively. I6 is a master cylinder of a hydrau- 5 which is inextensible in length but s o fl x b lic brake system in which is a movable piston I7 and which has only m l Parts t ting with adapted to be operated by any convenient means, the fluid. such as a foot pedal l5.

Although the co uit a been described as Swiveled front wheel l8 has its brake 20 actuexpressly Deinted Out that it y be us in e master cylinder l6 by a single piece metallic ous other relations, and that although the brake conduit generally designated by 2|, which has a embodiment has been stressed, various other flexible or extensible portion 22 adjacent the combinations and arrangements of equa Value swiveling axis 23 of the wheel, an intermediate scope of the invention. spring eye 21 of front-spring I 4, and connecting A feature of the invention relates to the strucportions :9 and 3 t are comparatively ture of the conduit which, in the illustrative .fl l or inextensib1e embodiment, is fo me o a single p e or i e- Conduit 2| is preferably secured to frame In grel length O metallic tubing av a flexible a slight distance rearward of spring eye 21, and 4 P rtion formed in a series of a jac eerrugaportions 29 and 3|, although comparatively intions rolled or otherwise formed therein, and anflexible, are preferably capable of being bent other portion of conventional form, the two porslightly to permanently conform to the shape of tiens being Preferably, although not ssa y. the frame l0. Flexible portion 22. winch is 10- of the same external diameter. cated adjacent the swiveling axis 23, absorbs the 5 Another feature of the invention is a conduit conduit movement due to angular inclination of formed of an inner corrugated metal tube and wheel l8, as shown in Fig. 5, and the flexible an outer fabric whereby the tube may bend but tion 26 absorbs conduit movement due to deflecmay not change in volume. tlon of the spring l4. Other objects and a s of the ention Rear wheel 32 has the operating cylinder of 50 will be apparent from the following description, -its brake 33 connected to master cylinder IS- by in connection with whichapreferred embodiment a similar conduit, having a flexible or extensible of the inventionhas been illustrated in the acportion 34 intermediate the comparatively neompanying drawings, in which: flexible portions 36 and 31, it not being neces- Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view sary to incorporate a flexible portion adjacent the brake 33 unless it be desired to use a swiveled wheel in place of the conventional non-swiveling type illustrated. The rear conduit is preferably secured to frame Ill by a bracket 39 located slightly forward of spring eye M in order to have all flexure resulting from spring movement absorbed by the flexible or extensible portion 34. The conduits connecting the respective brakes to master cylinder I6 are similar in general construction, in that each conduit has a portion of conventional form with an adjacent corrugated portion integral therewith having a series of adjacent convolutions 43 which are preferably of the same external diameter as portion 3| and which, if desired, may have the convolutions graduated in depth as they approach the adjacent inextensible portion 3|, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Inextensible portion 30 is preferably used as a connection to the brake operating cylinder I9, but if desired the corrugations may be continued up to the point of the connection of brake operating member I9 with the conduit. A flexible protective casing 41 which is of fabric and therefore substantially inextensible and which preferably has the same internal diameter as the external diameter of the conduit, may be used and if used is secured to the inflexible portion 3| by a band 48 which holds the casing against longitudinal movement.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7, H0 is the vehicle frame having cross member III. The frame is supported on front axle H2 and rear axle II3 by springs. H6 is a master cylinder of a hydraulic brake system in which the movable piston III is adapted to be operated by any convenient means such as a foot pedal. Swivelled front wheel I I8 has its brake I actuated by expansible member II9 connected to the master cylinder IIB by a conduit I2I which has a flexible portion I22 adjacent the .connection with the member H9 and an inflexible portion I 3| extending thence to the master cylinder II6. Rear wheel I32 has a similar flexible portion I34 adjacent the connection with the expansible member I19. The conduits are preferably secured to the frame III] by brackets I39 in order to have all flexure resulting from spring movement and swivelling absorbed by the flexible portion I34. The flexible portions are formed by corrugated metal tubes such as I46.

Flexible protective casings I4'I are provided for the tubes I46 in order to prevent said flexible portions from expanding in volume by extension. These casings I4'I are preferably of rubberized .fabric and are substantially inextensible. They preferably have the same internal diameter as the external diameter of the conduit. They are secured at their ends so as to confine the inner conduit in any suitable manner, the brackets I39 so serving if desired.

While two preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it

i is understood that this showing and description are illustrative only and that the invention is not regarded as limited to the form shown or described, or otherwise, except by the terms of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A fluid conduit subject to localized flexure comprising a unitary metallic member having adjacent integral portions of relatively different flexure characteristics, and a protective substantially inextensible flexible casing enclosing all of one portion and a part of the other portion,

the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

2. A hydraulic brake conduit subject to localized flexure comprising a single length of metallic tubing having a relatively inextensible portion, a relatively extensible portion, and a flexible substantially inextensible tubular casing enclosing the extensible portion and a part of the inextensible portion of substantially the same internal diameter as the external diameter of the portions, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

3. A hydraulic brake conduit for a vehicle brake having a master cylinder secured to the vehicle frame and an expansive device secured to a vehicle wheel movable with respect to the frame, comprising an integral length of metallic tubing between the cylinder and the device having a comparatively inflexible portion and a comparatively flexible corrugated portion integral therewith, said conduit being adapted to have its inextensible portion secured to the vehicle frame and its extensible portion positioned intermediate the brake and the frame, whereby relative movement between the wheel and. the frame is absorbed by the flexible portion, a flexible casing enclosing the flexible'portion and extending over the inflexible portion, and means for securing the casing to one of said portions, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

4. Conduit means for connecting an operating device with an operated device, comprising one integral length of metal tubing which throughout most of its length is substantially inflexible but capable of being bent and which has a relatively short section of graduated flexibility including a series of adjacent corrugations, of graduated depth and a protective substantially inextensible flexible casing inclosing the short section and a portion of the inflexible tubing, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

5. A brake system for an automotive vehicle in which there are provided road wheels adapted to support the vehicle through springs and adapted to be turned in steering the vehicle, a brake friction element for one of said wheels, a hydraulic wheel cylinder adapted to actuate said brake friction element, a hydraulic master cylinder for generating pressure for operating said wheel cylinder, a conduit connecting said master cylinder and said wheel cylinder having a corrugated portion subject to localized flexure and having a portion integral therewith having a substantially uniform cross section, said corrugated portion having its corrugations radually decreasing in depth toward the uniform section portion.

6. A fluid conduit subject to localized flexure having'adjacent integral portions of relatively different flexure characteristics including a portion formed of corrugated tubing, and a protective substantially inextensible flexible casing inclosing the corrugated portion and a part of the other portion, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal-to the external diameter of the tubing.

7. A fluid conduit comprising a corrugated tubing, and a protective flexible casing substantially inextensible in length inclosing said tubing whereby the corrugated metallic tubing is maintained of substantially uniform length and capacity, while being allowed to flex, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

8. In an automotive vehicle a frame member, a wheel movable relative to said frame member, a flexible conduit connecting said frame member and said wheel comprising a corrugated metallic tubing, anda protective substantially inextensible flexible casing inclosing said tubing and at its ends secured to said tubing and to said frame and Wheel portion, the internal diameter of the casing being substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing.

9. A fluid conduit comprising a corrugated metallic tubing adapted to be flexed and to be extended, and a protective flexible non-metallic casing substantially inextensible in length and inclosing said tubing and having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the tubing whereby the corrugated metallic tubing is maintained of substantially uniform 10 capacity and length while being allowed to flex.

MONTGOMERY W. MCCONKEY. 

